Improved flour-packer



@uiten tetes gntiznt @ffice CHRISTIAN CUSTER,v OF PHlLr-lDELPHIA,l PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HlMSELF AND CHARLES K. BULLOCK, OF SAME PLACE;4

Letters Patent 1Y0. 79,211, dated June 23, 1868.

IMPROVED FLOURPAGKER.`

TO ALL WHOMIT MAY CONCERN:

Bc itknown that, CHRISTIAN Cus'rnn, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Flourlneking Machine; and-Tgdo hereby declare the following to bc a full,l clear, and exact description ofthe same. Y My invention consists of'certain mechanism, fully described, for packing flour, 82e., in barrels, the mechanism being such 'that it accomplishes its duty eiectually and rapidly.

' In orderto enable others skilled in the nrt to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this speoilication, and in whichi i Figure 1, Drawing No. 1, is an'edge view of my machine for packing flour, 82e., in barrels. i Figure 2, Drawing No. 1, a, plan view of fig. 1; I

Figure 3, DrawingiNf-Z, a. vertical section on'the line 1-2, iig. 1. Figure 4, a front view offthe machine. lFigure 5, a vertical section of part of the machine drawn to an enlarged scale, and Figures 6,'7, and 8, detached views of part ofthe machine. Similar letters refer to 'similarl parts throughout the several views. A is the base ot' the machine, to which `are secured two standards,'B and B', thcl'atter being connected together'at the top by a hopper, C, and frame, D, referred to hereafter.

Through the base, A, passes a rod, a, surmounted with a platform, t, on.which` the barrel to be packed rests, the lower end of -thc bnr being connected to 'one' arm of' aclever, F, which is hung beneath the base, A, and to the other arm of which is jointed a rod, c, projecting through t-he hase, A, and having a sh0ulder, c, for catching beneath -the said base, as seen in iig; 3. i A

To the hopper C is secured a hollow cylinder, G, and on the latter another hollow cylinder, H, isarranged to slide freely, but is prevented from turning by'lrods, d d, projecting into guides in the uprights B and B', (see iig. 3.) l

In a cross-bar, e, within ,the cylinder G, turns a vertical shaft, I,`whi ch also turns in a cross-bar, e', in the cylinder H, and this shaft is provided with two screw-propellers, j and f', one on each side of the said cross-bare.

It should be here noted that the/thread of the upper screw-propeller is madc of a coarser pitch than that of the lower propeller, and that vthe cross-bar e is not straight, but bevelled or inclined, as shown in iigs. 6, 7, and 8.

The shaft I passes through and is arranged to slide in the hub of a bevel-wheel, J,the latter having a pin or key entering a groove in the shaft, so that the latter cannot turn without the wheel.

To the frame D, above referred to, is secured a plate, K, fig. 5, which has a tubular projection, L, surround` ing but not in contact with the' shaft I. The plate has also an annular` projection, i, between which and the tube h projects the annular ange g on the under side of the wheel J. There is a rim, t, round'the edge ofthe plate K, so as to form a recess,/m, for catching such oil as may drop from the bearing.

"he wheel J rests on the annular projection L, and in the space n, between the latter and the tubular projection z, is deposited oil, or other lubricating-material. i

Into the bevel-wheel J gears a pinion, J', on a shaft, L, which turns in suitable bearings on the frame D, and which is provided with a fast pulley, M, and loose pulley, M. I i I A horizontal har, N, is arranged to slide in projections pp on the france D, this bar having an opening, p', through which the strap for driving the pulleys passes. i

-The lowerend of a. vertical rod, g, is secured to the sliding cylinder H, and this rod is provided with two adjustablestops, g and g, which, under the circumstances described hereafter, come ineontact with and operatenn arni, t, hinged to the strap-bar N. K

This arm tis so connected to a weighted lever, P, hung to a pin on the frame D, that, by the yald of the Said lever, the driving-strap will be moved to the fast pulley -M when the stop q comes in contact with the arm t, and will be moved to the loose pulley when the 'stop g comes in Contact with the said arm.

A horizontal shaft7 Q, is arranged to turn in suitable bearings on the standard B', and on this shaft is a ratchet-wheel, R, to the teeth of which is adapted a pawl, RQ hung loosely to the said standard.

There are also on the shaft Q two barrels, S and S', round each of which isseveral times coiled a rope or chain, T, to one, end of which is attached a weight, V. One of these ropes er chains is attached at :c to the sliding cylinder I-I at one Side ofthe same, and the other rope to the same cylinder on the opposite side.

Operation.

The sliding cylinder H, having been lowered to the, position seen in iig. 3, and an empty barrel having been placed on the platform b, and elevated by the `depression of the bar c, the shaft I with its propellera is caused to revolve, while the flour enters the hopper C at the two points' indicated by the arrows in that figure.

'lhe propeller f, with the coarse thread, collects the loose flour which falls into the tube H, and forces it past. the cross-'bar e', thc arms of which are so inclined as to present no impediment te the'free passage of the ilour to4 the'propelle'rf, the liner thread of which compresses the ilour and packs it tightly into the barrel.

As the packing continues, the cylinder II, with its shaft I 'and propellers, rises, and continues to rise, until the barrel is packed with flour, when the stop g comes in contact with the arm t, and the driving-strap is moved fromthe fast pulley M to the loose pulley M, andthe movement of the shaft and its Propellers is discontinued.

The pawl R/, which, during,r the descent of the sliding cylinder, had been raised free from Contact with the ratchet-wheel, is now depressed, so as to prevent the shaft Q from turning, and the `cylinder from descending.

The 'platforml1, with its packed barrel, is now, by operating the rod c, permitted to fall to the base by its own weight, and is removed to make way `for an empty barr'el7 which is elevated as before to the position shown in iig. I

'lhc operator now seizes the hand-wheel y on the shaft Q,and, after raising the pawl It frcc from Contact with the ratchet-wheel, permitsthe'cylinder and its propellers to fall hy its own weight, at the same time maintaining such a hold of the wheel as to prevent the sudden falling of the said cylin'der. v

When the latter has been lowered to the desiredy point, the stop g' of the rod g comes in contact with the arm t, and the strap is moved thereby from the loose 'pulleyM to the fast pulley M, the shaft I with its pro pellers consequently s'et in motion, and the packing of the barrel proceeded with as before.

I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- I. The combination, in a Hour-packing machine, of a stationary cylinder, (Sir with a sliding cylinder, H, within which operate the devices for propelling and packing the flour.

2. '.'Lhe within-described propelling-device, consisting of two propeller-s, f and f', attached to a shaft, i, one on each side of a cross-bar, c', having inclined arms, the whole being combined wit-l1 the sliding cylinder H, substantially as specilied.

3. The sliding cylinder H and strap-bar, N, so connected thatfthe said bar will be operated hy the movement of the cylinder, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof,-I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHRISTIAN CUSTER.

Witnesses:

H. Howsozv,r C. B. PRICE. 

